Hatch plug



Dec. 3', 1940. Q D. BONSALL 2,224,118

HATCH PLUG Original Filed Feb. l5, 1940 Patented Dec. 3, 1940 d UNITED star-ss HATCH PLUG Charles David Bonsall, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Standard Railway vEquipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Y Original application February 15, 1940, Serial No.

319,047. Divided-and this application April Il,

' 1940, Serial No. 327,825

G Claims.

The subject matter hereof is divided out of my copending application Serial No. 319,047 filed February 15, 1940, for patent for Hatch plug.

' My invention relates to hatch plugs Vand particularly to hatch plugs of the kind that are used for closing the hatchways of refrigerator cars. The principal objects of my invention are `to devise a plug that will be light, that will have its insulating material adequately protected uagainst ingress of moisture, dirt and other foreign matter, that will be substantially free from the injurious effects of warping, and which is so designed that parts that are subject to wear can be easily and rapidly replaced without removing the refrigerator car from its train. The invention consists principally in making the plug in the form of a hollow metal container filled with insulating material and with provision for securing around its sides nailing strips upon which suitablepadding is nailed, the nailing strips b,.- ing preferably detachably mounted. The invention also consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like g5 reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,`

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of a hatch plug embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the plug on the line 2.-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the plug on the line 3--3 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a section, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the bottom strap shown in Fig. 4. i

The hatch plug shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing comprises four main members, namely, a rectangular metal panshaped bottom member G with rounded corners, a metal top or cover plate D, a sectional wooden filler or nailing strip E2 and a compressible padding F. The pan-shaped bottom or body member G is pressed up from a sheet of metal with sloping or upwardly flaring side wallslZU and with an outstanding horizontal rim or marginal flange 2| at the top thereof. The chamber between said bottom and the top is filled with any suitable insulating material 6, such, for instance, as loosely packed or felted hair or vegetable fibers. The metal cover D, which is preferably stiffened or strengthened by hollow upstanding ribs 1 therein, seats on and is secured latwise to the marginal iiange 2| of the pan-shaped bottom member G preferably by a continuous edge Weld 8. The in- (C1. 105-377) n f sulating material 6 is thus sealed hermetically inside the metal shell formed by the pan-shaped body G and the cover plate D and consequently is protected against leakage of water or other `leakage and against the ingress of dirt or other 5 matter into said metal shell.

The rectangular pan-shaped body member G of the plug is smaller than the hatch opening for which it is designed, and its width and length 'are increased to fit said opening by means of '10 flange 2| of the pan-shaped body member G and said' filler strip`E2. The bolts 9b are provided with nuts Mib that `seat in countersinks provided thereforV in the bottom face of the filler strip E2, saidbottom face of said filler strip being preferably disposed substantially iiush with the bottom of said body member G. As shown in the drawing, the iiller strip E2 is made up of endwise abutting side and corner sections or blocks and I2, respectively. Thus, the iiller strip sections are easily, separably removable from the pan-shaped body member G of the plug by removing the securing bolts 9b therefor.

The filler strip E2 serves as a nailing strip for the compressible padding F. rThis padding preferably comprises a strip or strips B of waterproof canvas through whose lower margin brads or small barbed galvanized roong nails or like fasteners I3 are driven into the lower portions of the filler blocks. Curled hair or other suitable packing material I5 is filled in between the canvas strip I3 and the face of the filler strip E2 and then the upper margin of the canvas strip is secured to the upper portion of said ller or nailing strip by fasteners similar to the fasteners for the lower margin of said canvas strip.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar in all respects to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except only that metal straps or strips 22 are welded to the bottom of the metal body G and extend outwardly underneath the filler blocks E2 with the through bolts 9b extending through them and with the bolt nuts Illb underneath said straps. Thus, the straps serve to more rmly hold the filler blocks in place.

The hatch plug construction hereinbefore described has numerous advantages. In the first place, it is considerably lighter than the Wooden plugs commonly used. Its entire body portion, including the insulation, is permanently assembled, While those parts that are especiallyr subject to Wear and injury are easily replaceable Without disturbing the body of the plug. Such repairs and replacements are so simple that they may be made while the car is at a regular icing station and without requiring the removal of the car from its train and with little or no delay of the train. As the top of the plug is Welded to the sides, the insulating material is kept dry and uncontaminated and a lighter gage of metal may be used in the construction of the plug. Another advantage is that the Wooden filler blocks afford great protection against injury by being struck by blocks of ice or other rough usage and thus said ller blocks make it practicable to use lighter gage metal than would otherwise be feasible. While the ller blocks are liable to take up moisture and Warp, such warping does not aiiect the metal frame and is inconsequential because the ller block is not intended to Contact with the Wall and hatch opening.

What I claim is:

1. A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body member with an outstanding rim flange at the top only thereof, insulating material in said member and a metal cover plate for said body member secured to the rim flange thereof, a nailing strip extending around said body member beneath the rim ange thereof and detachably secured to said rim flange, and padding secured to the outer side face of said nailing strip.

2. A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body With an outstanding rim flange at the top thereof and a metal cover plate for said body seated on and secured to the rim ange thereof, a sectional Wooden strip extending around said body beneath the rim ange thereof, metal straps secured to said body and extending outwardly beneath said Wooden strip, bolts extending through said cover plate, rim flange, Wooden strip and metal straps, and padding secured to the outer side face of said wooden strip.

3. A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body with upwardly flaring sides and an outstanding rim ange at the top only thereof, insulating material in said body and a metal cover plate for said body seated on said rim flange, a nailing strip extending around said body beneath said rim flange and fitting the angle formed by said flaring sides and rim ange, bolts extending through said cover plate, rim flange and nailing strips, and padding secured to the outer side face of said nailing strip.

4. A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body with sloping sides and an outstanding rim flange at the top thereof, insulation in said body, a metal cover plate for said body seated on said rim ange with its edge substantially flush With and Welded to the outer edge thereof, a sectional Wooden strip extending around said body in the angle formed by said sloping sides and said rim flange with its outer face substantially iiush with the outer edge of said rim flange and with its bottom substantially flush with the bottom of said body, metal straps welded to said bottom Vand extending outwardly beneath said Wooden strip, bolts extending through said cover plate, `rim iiange, wooden strip and metal straps, and padding secured to the outer side face of said Wooden strip.

5. A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body with sloping sides and an outstanding rim flange at the top thereof, insulation material in said body, a metal cover plate for said body seated on said rim ange with its edge substantially flush with and Welded to the outer edge thereof, a wooden strip extending around said body and tting the angle formed by said sloping sides and said rim flange With its outer face substantially iiush with the outer edge of said rim flange and with its bottom substantially flush with the bottom of said body, bolts extending through said cover plate, rim ange and Wooden strip, and padding secured to said outer face of said Wooden strip.

6.v A hatch plug comprising a metal panshaped body member with an outstanding rim 

